Is there anything to learn from a mass murderer?

President Bush happened to be in Ohio - what are the chances? - when he responded to Osama bin Laden's election good wishes and assorted vague terrorism threats. Both he and his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, made it clear that Americans stand together on this issue, if not at the polls. There was little difference in their responses, though David Brooks, The New York Times columnist, would disagree.

Wonkette, and no doubt others, have been unable to interpret whether bin Laden's criticism of the president's initial response to the 9/11 attacks was meant as subtle endorsement of Kerry or reverse strategy. Ohioblog agrees with NPR's senior analyst Daniel Schorr who concluded on Weekend Edition Saturday that ``anything that says Iraq, helps Kerry; anything that says terrorism helps Bush - so this probably helped Bush.''

Analysts, both security and those who study al Qaeda, are examining the message and trying to understand its implications. They're the pros, but it would seem that one question both men who want to be president might ask is whether there is a way this seeming you-leave-us-alone, we'll-leave-you-alone message would allow the United States to support Israel, defend itself and accommodate other cultures whose beliefs and goals differ from ours.

One thing was unmistakeable, however. Bin Laden admitted responsibility for 9/11 and even explained when he began thinking about taking down the twin towers. The United States does not bargin with mass murders, but it is not impossible for intelligent U.S. leaders to learn something from those who would kill us that could this a safer world.

Copyright 2004 Knight Ridder. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Knight Ridder is expressly prohibited.